The world we live in moves very quickly, constantly spinning and orbiting around us, almost to a dizzying degree. 

People are often told to “live life to the fullest” and to “stop and smell the roses,” and though this is supposed to be viewed as encouraging, it can make someone feel like they aren’t doing enough and make them believe they are missing out on important things in their life. 

This expectation is usually felt during the teenage years because of societal pressure — teens are expected to maintain exemplary grades but have an abundant social life that keeps them busy every weekend with no time to relax. 

This can produce stress, anxiety, depression and burnout, which ultimately lead to the feeling of missing out even more. Time Magazine addresses the problem with the fear of missing out (FOMO) and explains that “When you’re so tuned in to the ‘other,’ or the ‘better’ (in your mind), you lose your authentic sense of self.” Time said, “This constant fear of missing out means you are not participating as a real person in your own world.” 

Though it is understandable people feel this way because of society’s depiction of the perfect high school experience within the media, when you think about it, society knows nothing.

There’s no exact way or instruction manual of how to go through high school or life itself, but the most exciting way I’ve found is to not care about what other people think. 

Once you start to not be bothered with what others believe or say, you begin to slowly, unconsciously shift your mindset from constantly worrying about everything you’re missing out on to enjoying the place you are in at that moment. 

So never let someone pressure or guilt trip you into believing you are wasting away the “best years of your life” because your mental health is more important than dragging yourself to a party and staying out til 2 a.m. 

How to Overcome FOMO

1. Realize you might not actually be missing out. “A lot of what we do on social media is exaggerated to make our lives seem a lot better,” John Grohol said. Social media is not a direct reflection of our lives — it’s not realistic, so we shouldn’t feel bad for not living up to it.

2. Avoid over-using social media. Because social media shows a distorted view of our lives, it can often be the root of FOMO. Staying off social media can help a lot in letting you focus on what you’re doing instead of the glamorized life of people on Instagram.

3. Don’t be so hard on yourself for staying in. All of us need a break sometimes — time to recharge our social batteries and accomplish other tasks. You shouldn’t feel bad turning down an invitation or feel obligated to go out with your friends just out of fear of missing out.

4. Host a party or plan a group outing. Organizing the event ensures you will be in on the fun, but it also means you can prioritize spending time with your friends and making sure they have fun, too.

5. Be OK with not being able to do it all. There are only 24 hours in a day, so there is never going to be enough time to do everything. It’s important to prioritize what you are able to do and what you have time for, and not worry about what doesn’t fit into your schedule.